ONE QUESTION

How do you measure a life? How will you measure yours?

ONE THING TO PONDER

We are either a plus or a minus in others lives. It’s actually very simple.

ONE PERSPECTIVE

Picture yourself at a party, laughing at all the right moments, sharing only your highlight reel. Your stomach churns because you know it's not the whole truth. Sound familiar?

Do you hide your mistakes?

Do you push down and hide the things you've done you're not proud of?

Are your decisions based on upholding your image rather than your character?

Understand there is freedom in acknowledging our faults,
failures and mistakes.

It’s my favorite scene from ‘8 Mile’ with Eminem. He unloads all of his ‘negative’ messy real life stuff that he knows others are going to say about him, only to leave them speechless because he put himself out there with all his flaws. That’s freedom. 

We lock ourselves into a prison when we are constantly attempting to portray that we have our shit together all of the time. 

Newsflash, nobody does. 
•Most of us have decisions we wish we could undo. 
•Most of us have things that we’ve done or said that make us cringe at 3AM. 

It’s in the moments we seek popularity that we make
decisions that compromise our values. 

There is a real, tangible cost when we prioritize reputation over character. We end up trading:
•Authenticity for Approval
•Growth for Glamour
•Freedom for Facades

A Small Caveat

This isn't permission to slack off or settle for mediocrity. 

Excellence still matters. Yet there's a difference between striving for your best and suffocating under the weight of appearances.

It is your obligation to live your best life, and do your very best.

I’m no longer interested in fitting into the cool club. Unfortunately I’ve experienced that many of them are unhappy and lost. Not all, but many!

Success: The Golden Handcuffs 

The higher you climb, the heavier the mask becomes. Each achievement adds another layer of expectations. So if your success is built on a different version of your true self, IT WILL FALTER at some point in time

With more success, it becomes even more difficult to maintain an authentic image true to you. In this moment, to live authentically requires even more courage. 

I’ve seen it time and time again, and also have experienced it personally. You gain success, make a lot of money, you grow, you gain titles, people start giving you accolades and kind words…and all of a sudden, you have this image to uphold. It’s a trap if you’re not careful. 

This isn’t a judgment at all, it’s my attempt to rattle the cage again to ensure we are aligning with the most important things we value, not external validation, money, or popularity. 

Success isn’t the problem, it’s our ego that wants to ensure we never allow our reputation to look like a failure. 

The Bottom Line 

Your character - who you are when no one's watching - will outlast any carefully curated reputation. Which one are you feeding?

There is so much upside on building character. Focus on your character rather than creating a caricature.

I’ll see you along the way! 

Onward and upward! 

PODCAST

How to have Uncomfortable Conversations w/ Emmanuel Acho

The Ed Mylett Show

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The Algebra of Happiness
by Scott Galloway